Promise To A Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
by All4TheBest
Summary: "Promise Punk!" She yelled as the metal gave way yet again and fell from its place against the ninety degree angle folds unable to make a sound he just nodded his head. With tears clouding her vision she let go and Steve's grip on the hanging rod was not enough to keep the dangling weight up. (Starts when they are kids though post-CAWS. Fem!Bucky.)
1. Don't Die On Me

A/N - This story is Rule 63!Bucky, and will follow them though the war and onto post-winter solider, (I think I may post those as a separate stories don't know yet)

Disclaimer: I do not own the MCU, Asthma cigerates, or the 1925 silent movie Wizard of Oz (or anything else I may mention in the chapter)

Chapter 1:Don't Go Dying On Me Punk

April 23, 1925

James Elizabeth "Becky" Barnes had met Steven "Steve" Grant Rogers in the alley behind a movie theater that would be taken by a storm in years to come. He had stood a waif of a boy chicken legged and buckling knees looking like a cool gust of wind could knock him over, fists raised over his face (with exceedingly bad form mind you) and head raised in a way that was either brave or idiotic. Though most likely it was probably a bit of both. Four boys, each stood a head taller than him, where throwing punches and kicking. Often Steve hit the pavement when a punch knocked him back or a kick dead legged him but he kept getting up. As such he got a pretty good beating before Becky came across him.

Auntie Ida and Becca had convinced her Pa to go see Wizard of Oz, stuffing her in a dress, stalkings and shoes that pinched her toes before dragging her across the town to see it. Becky would be hard pressed to call the movie bad, after all it was funny and the music was cool, and the swinging scene looked like fun. But all and all it was nothing to drool over like her Auntie Ida and Becca where as they discussed it in the theater with some family that had sat in front of them. Becky opted out of the impromptu conversation in favor of following her father as he went for a drag. Once on the street Becky began the ever fun game of kicking down cobblestones as she walked the face of the building.

It was because of this cobble bouncing off of the building next to the movie house that Becky even saw Steve.

Forgetting the rock all together Becky marched forward her lip twisted to a snarl, she never did like the bullies.

Grabbing a handful of cobblestones and loading the homemade slingshot one of her, father's soldiers had gifted to her, that ended she sent the first of four rocks flying air and hitting the first, before three more followed. The largest boy of the lot turned and marched up to Becky as if getting ready to fight her. When he was close enough she stepped down when stepped on his toe and elbowed him in the gut before quickly taking him down crouching over his back pushing his face into the grovel.

"Ge'offf" the boy mumbled as he pushed her off of him and stood up. His friends already had moved away from the blonde boy to the other side of the alley. Becky raised her fist and bit out a yell like her father taught her and the boys ran. With a smile she turned around to see the boy just helped expecting to get a thank you but instead was meet with broken breaths. Keeling down Becky took the boys hand and helped him sit up before moving his hand to be able to feel the thump of Becky's own heartbeat.

"Hey, its alright now kid, you're fine. Just calm down." Becky said slipping down next to him and helping him sit up a little bit more. He looked very young, long thin limbs that he had yet to grow into and a body shape that could only be described as concave. Becky then flopped herself next to him not giving mind to the fact her stockings may rip or her dress could get dirty from the road below. As her hand rested over the chest of the boy who didn't seem able to take a breath.

"I got you kid, everything fine, just don't stop breathing alright." she reassured but the kid didn't seem to be responding any more than before. Turning around she took a deep breath before letting out a scream of "PA!"

"Elizabeth!" George Barnes called as he twisted into the alleyway his eyes fell on the scene and his brow furrowed as he sent a pointed look at his youngest daughter.

"It was all the other kids fault Pa. They was the ones punching him." She said turning around to defend herself. George Barnes looked down at his youngest daughter with a mix between contempt and pride as he grabbed a crushed box from the ground and pulling an asthmatic cigarettes out lighting it and handing it to the boy who took it gratefully pressing it between his lips. George Barnes was a very large man. Broad shouldered and clean cut, with dark hair and dark eyes. He wore a grey colored suit that looked mostly new smiling as he knelt down before the boy and rested a hand on his shoulder waiting for the boy to begin breathing slower. Then he helped the boy to his feet with an offer of a ride home and a cola. A few times he eyed his younger daughter as she began to try and speak up but other than that the three met up with Auntie Ida and Becca. Becca had laughed when she saw her sister practically hovering over Steve all the while being silently berated by their father.

"Becky found a boyfriend." She laughed before being leveled with a look of her own and seizing where she stood. The five then went to the nearest penny and dime where George Barnes made good on his promise of cola for the children then led the group to the car where Becca, Steve, and Becky climbed into the back. Becky taking the middle becasue Becca always wanted the window seat and she was quite scared if they mushed the blonde haired boy he would stop breathing once again.

"I coulda' taken them by myself you know." Steve said after a few minutes of silence.

"Sure ya coulda kid." Becky said with a chuckle patting him on the shoulder in a manner that crossed languages with its visible sign of doubt.

"I coulda' and don't call me kid. I'm almost seven." Steve snarled back shrugging his shoulder away.

"James Barnes, I'm five." she offered up as a sign of friendship.

"James?" Steve said with a choked chuckle.

"James Elizabeth, and James can be for girls too so don't you dare go laughing at it either." She said pushing him had in the shoulder, Steve rocked back against the back of the seat a little bit before his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"I ain't gonna." He said slightly though his hands up in surrender. "Steven Rogers,"

"Nice to meet you Stevie,"

"You to James Elizabeth," He said with a chuckle. The girl frowned but did not make any physical form of retaliation. From where she stood watching the happenings of the children Ida Barnes smiled and nudged at georgG.

"How long ya' gonna pretend you ain't proud she's makin' friends" She said her voice little more than a whisper.

"It ain't the making friends I am cross about, its the fighting." George leveled.

"Then you probably shouldn't a' taught her how then should ya 'ave?" Their conversation would be one echoed many times though out the years, not that it did anything to affect the two children. No this was to put the mind of adults at ease. As Becky turned to Steve animatedly talking about the film they had just seen to Steve and how she was going to read the book once she got older. Steve didn't know much about the film but soon the conversation turned to books they wanted to read and why. The only memory of the fight being the red stain of blood on the small boys shirt and the runs in Becky's stalkings, both however were undeniably overlooked when one took in the smile that lit up both of their faces.

When George pulled up to the Street Steve directed him to and instructed Becky to walk the boy to his door and explain to his mother. Climbing up the stairway Becky did just that before Steve knocked on the door was was hit with the full force of one Sarah Rogers pulling her boy into her arms checking him over for injuries. It took a few moments before she even saw Becky standing a few feet away.

"Stevie, who is your friend."

"James Elizabeth Barnes ma'am, most people just call me Becky." She said with a clumsy curtsy.

"Sarah Rogers, nice to meet you Miss. Barnes."

"My pa said I had to es'plane the reason we is bringing Steve home. Some boys was using him as a whooping boy, don't worry though I made sure to put a stop to it. Bullies ain't worth their weight, that's what my pa says."

"Well thank your father for making sure that Steve got home safe. Sarah said as she went to shut the door of the apartment.

"Es'cuse me Ma'am, I was just wonderin' if when Pa lets me would it be okay to play with Stevie?"

"Well I don't see why not."

"Hear that Stevie," the five year old said yelling past Sarah into the house where Steve had already been sent to change. "I can come back. So you better still be breathing when I get here." She said before turning back to Sarah with a smile. "Thank ya' much Ma'am."


	2. Keep Breathing Punk

In which Steve is sick (and Catholic), Becky is scared and in over her head, Rheumatic Fever reigns and Becca is not very kind. And I probably am not in time period with phone use. More aptly named a chapter a lot of other chapters build off of so I just kind of had to write it even if it isn't my favorite. Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts.

Disclaimer: I do not own

All4TheBest

* * *

><p>October 31, 1925<p>

With a sly smile James Elizabeth Barnes moseyed slowly to the front door of the Roger's apartment in Hell's Kitchen. In all technicality she was not supposed to be here. Mrs. Sarah had warned her away more than two weeks ago because Steve had a bad case of strep throat, which was contagious. However it had been weeks and Becky was under no condition letting her very best friend miss out on Halloween because of it. Especially since she knew Mrs. Sarah was going to be working a double shift at the hospital. Laden with her school backpack, seeing as that is were she had come from, with her schoolbooks and her fathers copy of 'Anderson's Fairy Tales' she bent down to roll away the brick that hid the Rogers spare key before slipping the door opening, returning the key to its place, and slipping into the apartment. Making sure to lock the door behind her before walking though the Roger's living room.

"Stevie!" She called as she walked around the half wall that created a type of hallway between the living room and kitchen to Steve and Mrs. Sara's room. Steve's door was open and Becky could see from where she stood the sheen of sweat that covered Steve's body as well as the irregular rise and fall of his chest. Dropping her bag at the door she slipped into the room quickly and moved directly to Steve's side hand reaching out to feel the boys head.

"Stevie," She said her voice softer and weaker as her eyes racked the form of her best friend who was clearly in distress. The adults did very well keeping her away from Stevie when he was sick. A task that despite how easy it may sound was actually quite difficult. (For example, Becky had to promise Becca all of her treats that Papa bought her when he came back, for her sister to lie to Auntie Ida and tell her that Bucky had taken a nap after school.) Steve's blue eyes fluttered opened and looked at her very closely though for a good few minutes it as if he couldn't even see her let a less recognize her.  
>"B..." He said before falling into a fit of coughs. "ky?" he asked the e turning into a u because of his coughs.<p>

"Yeah Stevie, it's me," She said, as she tried to move some of the blankets Steve was piled under off of him in an effort to cool him down. Auntie Ida always stripped Becky to her undergarments and only gave her thin blankets all the while dabbing her with a cold rag when she ran fevers and it always bade Becky feel better, so it would have to work for Steve, right.  
>"Cold," he struggled to get his voice to work. Trying to grab at the blanket again.<p>

"Only 'casue your burning up Stevie. We need to get ya to cool down. Yous is sweating something horrid." Bucky said, the bed itself was went from Steve's sweat, and Becky wasn't 'possed to be in Steve's room. So Becky helped him sit up slowly so they could move to the living room. Steve only got an eighth of the way up before laying back and clutching his chest.

"hurts," he groaned.

"Stevie," Becky whined softly, "We's gotta move ya I'll help." She said as they worked together to get Steve sitting upright and then slowly moving his feet to catch the cool floor. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, as she had watched the men to at Camp Leigh when they needed to move a friend to the hospital camp, she allowed Steve to lean on her as they slowly made their way to the living room. Stopping four times before they got to the couch that was less than two feet away because of pure exhaustion on Steve's part and in-antiquate upper body strength on Becky's. Stripping away the couch cushion so she could lay Steve closer to the ground Becky stalled for a few minutes and watched her best friend as he continued to cough.

"Stevie,"

"hurts," he sounded again.

"I know but you gotta keep breathin alright, promise me Stevie that you'll just keep breathin alright." She whispered his head fell forward the slightest degree and Becky took it as a nod. A coughing of her name sounded again jumping the five year old into action as she went to find the nearest rag, and a medium sized bowl before turning on the tap, waiting for the water to clear before filling the bowl and struggling to carry it over to Steve, thankfully not spilling all that much on the wood floor. Once she got the bowl there she returned to the small kitchen for the rag and began to wipe the sweat off of Steve's face. As she moved to his chest however she saw a large rash beginning to form. She closed her eyes and blinked away the tears that fogged her vision before continuing to dab off the sweat watching as her friend fell into a fitful sleep. Bucky kept one hand pressed against Steve's wrist and another against his head as she tried to talk him back into awareness. Her plan however was not working very well seeing as instead of waking her friend she was focused solely on the rise and fall of his chest. Staring at it and waiting as her own breath hitched with every tremor.

"Stevie," she whispered helplessly as she stared down at him reaching back for the rag to try and cool him down. "Stevie, yous can't give up now," she said her voice cracking slowly as she feel back into silence as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"You ain't even in double digits yet and Becca says that when you in double digits you have more fun." She said her voice even weaker.

"You can't leave Mrs. Sarah alone Stevie, that ain't very gentlemanly of you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.  
>"Don't leave me Stevie," there was no sound to that last statement. As the afternoon slowly dragged on Bucky sat unwavering at Steve's side. Only leaving to fetch more water to cool him down with. Feeling even lower than hopeless but not daring to leave his side in case something happened. She couldn't leave him alone, just in case he stopped fighting if she did.<p>

So she continued to do the only thing she knew how to trying her damnedest to get Steve's temperature down, wishing she was strong enough or smart enough to try and do more. As she wiped his face for the umpteenth time however this time the rag came back with spots of red, looking down she saw the blood slowly coming out of Steve's nose.

"No" Becky whispered as she moved to lay her friend's head in her lap. One of the corporals at Leigh had told her that you had to keep your head up and pinch the edge of the nose to help with nose bleeds and so Becky did just that placing the rag under his nose for good measure. Becky did just that keeping Steve's head in her lap and trying to make sure her friend didn't get more sick than he already was.

When the knock sounded on the door Becky had already stopped two of Steve's nose bleeds but was still unable to bring down his fever. When the knock sounded Becky flinched away from the door wondering who it could be.

"James Eizabeth Barnes I know you are in there." Came the angered yell after another round of knocking Jumping to her feet Becky unlocked and threw open the door before running into the arms of her Aunt.

"James Elizabeth Barnes, having your sister lie to me..." her aunt began but Becky did not let her get very much past that.

"Stevie's had a bad fever all day. I tried to cool him but it don't work, now he's started bleedin to, I got it to stop but it keeps happenin again, help him." Bucky said pointing toward were Steve lay blood still slowly falling from his face as he shivered slightly. Ida Barnes looked in the room eyes searching for a few minutes before they landed on the shivering blonde.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Elizabeth go home and get your sister to phone the hospital and ask for Mrs. Sarah," Ida said slipping off her own coat and wrapping the boy in it as she stood herself Steve cradled in her arms.

"But,"

"Now Elizabeth." Twisting on her foot and pausing only for the quickest of moments Becky did exactly what her Aunt instructed. The Barnes Apartment was not very far away from the Rogers, lying right on the outside of Hells Kitchen, a ten minute walk. But at moment it might as well have taken hours to get home. Throwing the door open Becky ran inside and smacked full force into her older sister who was doing her homework on the living room floor, having stood when she heard the door open.

"Ste...ste..."

"Jamie," Becca said kneeling down to rest her hands on the girls shoulders.

"call hospital, Mrs. Sarah, Stevie's sick," Becca is at the phone in a moment, using all the words her father yells at her for using to get everyone else off the party line they share with the apartment so she can call the doctors. Becky just stood in the middle of the room with tears streaming down her face. Though she wasn't actively paying attention she did realize the change in tone when Mrs. Sarah picked up the phone and answered to her sisters calls.

"He was," Becky began before hiccuping away tears "running a," another hiccup "fever." The rest of her annotation went similarly fighting against her own hysteria as she tried to figure tell Ms Sarah all she knew, though the buffer of her sister. When the phone call ended Becca twisted quickly and left the sting of her hand sisters cheek before pulling the girl close by her arms and yelling, asking if Becky was dumb or slow yelling that she should have gotten help sooner. Yelling that she very possibly just killed the only friend she was ever going to get.

Becca got a bloody nose for the last statement and released her grip as Becky ran for the room they shared and falling against her metal framed bed taking Sarge, her favorite stuffed animal, into her arms.

Becky stayed in her bed all weekend refusing food and not responding despite the fact Auntie Ida had come and held her close rocking her to sleep fingers carding though her hair. Or when Becca apologized multiple times for hitting her and saying that Stevie was going to die. The next Monday after Becky had slipped through the school day Mrs. Sarah had come to the apartment and asked if Becky wanted to go to the hospital with her to see Stevie. Grabbing Sarge and holding tight to him Becky had followed. The hospital was sterile white in a way that made the small girl feel as if she were to dirty to belong. She sat next to Ms Sarah at Steve's bed side holding tight to Sarge in her arms and staring at the rise and fall of Steve's chest. He did not wake up the entire day. As she left Becky set Sarge on the edge of the hospital bed giving silent instructions for the stuffed bear to keep Steve safe. When she went to the hospital the next day Sarge hadn't moved from its place button eyes keeping watch on his prone form. The days followed similarly. With Becky talking as little as she could.

Mrs. Sarah told Becky many lies, Becky did not correct her though. She didn't feel like these sentences were meant for her. The doctors who stood outside the door whispered lies as well, not as many but enough. They were being truthful however when they told Mrs. Sarah to say her goodbyes.

Father Jameson came dressed in the same black he always wore cross dangling from his neck and a Sunday robe. He nodded to her with a smile Bucky could not return as she felt her hand being squeezed by Mrs. Sarah who was seated beside her whispering lies into her ear.

Then the father began to chant words that washed over Becky's head. His last prayer was not one Becky could translate, but it was one she knew. The prayer for the dying. A woman had whispered it under her breath at Camp Leigh when her mother was sick. "Réquiem ætérnam dona ei Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Requiéscat in pace. Amen." before she left the hospital, Becky leaned over her lips brushing against the wisps of hair that covered Steve's ears.

"You promised you'd keep breathin'" she whispered. "we not even gotten to go to coney island yet Stevie." Then she turned and moved Sarge closer to Steve's form before walking away and taking Mrs. Sarah's hand.

That night she crawled into her sisters bed and lightly tugged on one of Becca's piggy tailed braids.

"Becca," she whispered.

"Yeah Jamie,"

"Do you really think I killed Stevie." The voice was soft and broken from days with little use. Becca shot up at the question and pulled her baby sister against her chest as the five year old broke into sobs.

"No, no Jamie," Becca said running her hand over her back clutching tight to the girls over sized night gown and whispering into her ear. That night would be the first of many nights Becca rocked her sister to sleep as the younger girl fretted over the fate of a sick Steve Rogers feeling completely hopeless but holding her none the less.


End file.
